I thought I was going to write a little bit about the history of the coin, but alas, it is vast and shrouded in mystery. However, I thought Coinage -- Ancient History Encyclopedia seemed like a good source of information, so here's the link to the page. http://www.ancient.eu.com/coinage/

Some of my own observations:

I enjoy making jewelry, mainly necklaces, from coins. Favorites are coins from countries that celebrate their wildlife. Africa, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand offer a few examples of unique "animal" coins.

Click on any picture on this page to be taken to the listing and more information. Some of the links will go to my store on Etsy.

Coins from other countries celebrate their history and culture. France, India, Israel, and Italy are wonderful examples.

In my opinion, coins from Japan and Hong Kong are exceptional.

The best part about all of this is the creativity. Coins are wonderful charms when left in their original flat shape, but they don't have to stay that way. I like to change it up a bit by adding colorful beads and/or shaping the coin into a shape like a dome.